The Akron Rubber Ducks, the AA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians (yes, I know they’re the “Guardians” now… sue me), is hosting a promotion titled “Salute to the UK: What Could’ve Been” — just two days after the Independence Day holiday. This after the team canceled two games in a row in the wake of the police shooting of Jayland Walker and the associated protests.
On July 3, the team canceled its “Let Three-Dom Ring” movie night and fireworks show “out of respect for the city-wide day of mourning” related to Walker’s death. (The City of Akron canceled its annual fireworks and the rib fest for the same reason, leaving vendors who had already purchased food in a lurch.)
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The Rubber Ducks also canceled the July 4 game due in part to the city’s 9 p.m. curfew, put into place after mostly peaceful rioters damaged many storefronts and businesses along Main Street. Walker, who was reportedly shot 60-90 times after he fled police during a traffic stop, allegedly shot out his car window at cops. He exited his vehicle, police chased him on foot, and eight officers fired shots at Walker after he appeared to reach for something in his waistband.
As if skipping a pair of patriotic-themed promos to satiate the thugs raining down destruction on the city wasn’t anti-American enough, the team will resume play by “saluting” the UK and wondering aloud whether we would’ve been better off without the American Revolution. It’s one thing to celebrate the UK — especially its musical contributions — but quite another to inject “what could’ve been” into America’s Favorite Pastime. Minor-league baseball promotions have always been kind of wacky — anything to get fans in seats — but this one seems oddly timed coming during the week Americans celebrate our independence from King George.
Sadly, Major League Baseball has become increasingly woke, leaving fans wondering if it’s worth shelling out a hundred bucks per game to support a league that seems determined to crap on their values any chance they get. The Cleveland Indians Guardians are only seeing 11,000 fans per game in its 35,000-seat stadium this year, the first since the team changed its name to appease the woke mob. Back in the early ’90s when the Indians were playoff-bound for several years in a row, the stadium, which at that time held 40,000 fans, sold out 455 straight games. I don’t know anyone in Ohio who is excited by the team this year. We used to watch or listen to nearly every game and attend several a year. This year we’ve yet to watch an entire game on TV and have no plans to attend one. Same for the Rubber Ducks. I’ve got better ways to spend my hard-earned money and it appears thousands of other fans do as well.
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